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Skellig Michael

Landing tour.

Land on Skellig Michael, explore the monastic ruins and experience other-worldly vistas. See the spot where Luke Skywalker stood, and feel the power of this incredible place.

ECO CRUISE TOUR

Enjoy a two and a half hour cruise around the Skellig Islands, taking in the amazing Skellig Coast, local bird and sealife including dolphins and whales.

What are the safety precautions? How long are the tours? What times do the tours depart, Where do the boats depart from? All your questions are answered here.

to Skellig Michael, Irelands UNESCO World Heritage site

Skellig Michael is an island 12 km off the South West coast of Ireland. It houses the incredibly well-preserved remains of an early Christian monastery and that was founded in the 6th century and a place of monastic retreat until the 12th century.

Due to its universal cultural value, Skellig Michael was awarded World Heritage Site status in 1996, one of only two sites in the Republic of Ireland. Most recently, it has achieved worldwide fame thanks to its appearance as the planet Ahch-To, in both Star Wars : The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi .

Skellig Michael Boat Trips, Portmagee, County Kerry, Ireland Email: [email protected]   •  Tel: +353 66 947 7108

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Skellig Michael Boat Trips, Portmagee, County Kerry, Ireland Email: [email protected] Tel: +353 66 947 7108

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Skellig Michael Boat Trips, Portmagee, County Kerry, Ireland E: [email protected] T: +353 66 947 7108

© Skellig Michael Boat Trips All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy • Make a Payment

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How To Visit Skellig Michael In 2024 (A Guide To The Skellig Islands)

By Author Keith O'Hara

Posted on Last updated: February 1, 2024

The Skellig Michael tours are some of Ireland’s most sought-after. They’re also some of the most misunderstood .

There are two types of Skellig Islands tours:

• Landing tours : You physically explore Skellig Michael Island
• Eco tours : You sail around the two Skellig Islands but don’t leave the boat

In the guide below, you’ll find info on the different tours of the Skellig Islands, their history and, of course, the Star Wars link . Enjoy!

Table of Contents

Some quick need-to-knows if you want to visit Skellig Michael

Click to enlarge map

So, if you want to visit Skellig Michael Island, there are several  need-to-knows before you start planning your trip.

1. Location

The ancient Skellig Islands jut from the Atlantic Ocean around 13km from Ballinskelligs Bay off the tip of the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry .

2. There are 2 islands

There are two Skellig Islands. The smaller of the two, known as Little Skellig , is closed to the public and cannot be accessed. Skellig Michael (AKA ‘Great Skellig) is over 750 feet tall and is home to a number of historic sites.

3. There are 2 tour types

If you’re wondering how to get to Skellig Michael, you have 2 options – the Skellig Michael landing tour (you physically go onto the island) and the eco tour (you sail around the islands). The majority of Skellig Michael tours leave from Portmagee pier, although one leaves from Derrynane Harbour and another leaves from Valentia Island .

4. Star Wars fame

Yes, Skellig Michael is the Star Wars Island in Ireland. It featured Star Wars Episode VII “The Force Awakens” in 2014 . If you’ve watched the movie, you’ll see Skellig Michael at the end of the movie when Luke Skywalker gets reintroduced to viewers.

5. Warnings

• Book tickets well in advance:  They book out frequently
• Good fitness levels needed:  You’ll need to climb a bit on the landing tour
• Tours don’t run all year: The ‘season’ runs from from April until the beginning of October

6. Where to stay nearby

The best place to base yourself when visiting Skellig Michael, in my opinion, is Portmagee , however, Valentia Island and Waterville are two other great options.

About the Skellig Islands

Photos via Shutterstock

You’ll find Skellig Michael Island and Little Skellig jutting from the Atlantic around 1.5km from Ballinskelligs Bay off the tip of the Iveragh Peninsula.

And it’s from here that the Skellig Islands have been delighting those that have dared to visit long before George Lucas and Hollywood came knocking.

How they were formed

It was during the Armorican/Hercynian Earth Movements that Skellig Michael first peeked above the Atlantic Ocean.

These movements led to the formation of the mountains of County Kerry, which Skellig Michael is connected to.

The mass of rock from which the island was formed dates back over 400 million years and consists of compressed sheets of sandstone mixed with silt and gravel.

Mentioned as far back as 1400 BC

Of the two islands, Skellig Michael boasts the most Religious and historical significance.

The island was first referenced in history in   1400 BC and was called ‘home’ by a group of monks for the first time during the 8th century.

In pursuit of a greater union with God, a group of ascetic monks withdrew from civilisation to the remote island to begin a life of solitude.

A UNESCO World Heritage site

The remote and isolated islands have an almost prehistoric feel about them and the Skelligs are widely regarded as one of Europe’s most perplexing and remote sacred sites.

In 1996, UNESCO gave recognition to Skellig Michael and its “outstanding universal value” , placing it upon the World Heritage List , where it sits proudly next to the likes of the Giants Causeway and Yellowstone National Park.

“An incredible, impossible, mad place”

Once upon a time, over 20 years before Star Wars creator George Lucas was born, a Nobel Prize and Oscar-winning Irish playwright discovered the wonders of the Skellig Islands.

On September 17th, 1910, George Bernard Shaw left the Kerry coast in an open boat and sailed across the choppy waters that lay between the islands and the mainland.

In a letter penned to a friend, Shaw described the island as  “An incredible, impossible, mad place”  that is  “part of our dream world” . If that doesn’t make you want to visit, nothing will.

How to get to Skellig Michael in 2024

We get emails asking how to get to Skellig Michael constantly . They tend to start mid-summer. But by that time many tours are booked up.

So, there are several different Skellig Michael boat tours on offer. Now, as mentioned above, just 180 people can access the island each day .

So, getting a ticket on one of the boat trips that land on the island can be tricky. Here’s an overview of each of the tours:

1. The Eco Tour around the islands

The first of the two Skellig Michael tours is the Eco Tour. This is the tour that takes you around the islands, but that doesn’t ‘land’ on Skellig Michael.

These Skellig Island tours tend to involve visiting Little Skellig first and seeing some of the wildlife (ganets and seals to name a fiew) before sailing around Skellig Michael.

2. The Skellig Michael Landing Tour

The Skellig Michael Landing Tour involves taking a ferry to the larger of the islands and heading for a wander around it.

The landing tours is more expensive (info below) but it’ll treat you to one of the most unique experiences in Ireland.

Skellig Michael tours compared

Good God. It’s taken me over an hour to collect the info below about the various Skellig Michael tours. Why?!

Well, because some of the websites are an absolute mess and a half!

WARNING : The prices and times listed below may change so  please  double check them in advance!

1. Skellig Michael Cruises

• Run by: Paul Devane & Skellig Michael Cruises
• Location : Portmagee
• Eco tour : Lasts 2.5 hours. €50
• Landing tour : You get 2.5 hours when you visit Skellig Michael. €140
• Learn more here

2. Skellig Boat tours

• Run by: Dan and Donal McCrohan
• Eco tour : It lasts 2.5 hours and it costs €50 per person
• Landing tour : Costs €125 per person

3. Kerry Aqua Terra Boat & Adventure Tours

• Run by: Brendan and Elizabeth
• Location : Knightstown (Valentia)
• Skellig Coast Tour : Takes you around the most scenic sites in the area including the islands and the Kerry Cliffs. 3 hours. €75 p/p.

4. Sea Quest Skellig Tours

• Eco tour : It lasts just under 2.5 hours and it costs €50 for adults with lower priced tickets for kids
• Landing tour : €130 and you get 2.5 hours on the island

5. Casey’s Skellig Island Tours

• Eco tour : €45
• Landing tour : €125  

6. Skellig Walker

• Eco tour : €50 per person
• Landing tour : Tickets cost €125 per person 

Things to see and do on Skellig Michael

Skellig Michael was first referenced in history in   1400BC and was called ‘home’ by a group of monks for the first time during the 8th century.

It’s thanks to these monks that the island is home to a number of historical sites (the views are also out of this world).

1. Enjoy the journey over

If you do get a chance to visit Skellig Michael, your adventure begins from the moment you step on the ferry.

The journey across takes an hour from Portmagee (above) and you’ll be able to start soaking up views soon after your departure.

Now, if you’ve ever taken a ferry anywhere in Ireland, you’ll know that the water can be very choppy at times, so keep that in mind.

I’d recommend decent footwear, also. Aside from the fact that you’ll be doing a lot of walking on the island, the area where you step off the ferry can be slippy.

This isn’t helped by the fact that the boat will be rocking. So, decent footwear and a sturdy belly (keep away from the pints the night before!) are both needed. 

2. The Stairway to Heaven

Cast your mind back to a time when monks lived on Skellig Michael (AKA ‘Great Skellig’). They needed to eat, and the water was their main source of food.

The monks needed to conquer a grueling 600+ steps each day as they made their way from the summit, where they lived, to the icy waters below, where they caught fish.

Those that visit the island will need to climb these 600+ steps to reach the top of the island. This will be a challenge for those with poor mobility.

3. Views galore

If you visit Skellig Michael on a clear day, you’ll be treated to outstanding views of Little Skellig and the Kerry coastline. 

And after climbing the 600+ steps to the top, you’ll have earned a bit of kick-back-and-take-it-all-in-time.

When you arrive here, try and switch off, put the phone/camera away and bask in the brilliance that surrounds you. 

4. The beehive huts

Life in the middle of the Atlantic was by no means easy, so the monks got to work and built several structures to make the island suitable to live on.

Over time, they managed to construct a Christian monastery, six beehive huts, two oratories and some terraces.

The cluster of six beehive huts that housed the island’s inhabitants were constructed with slate and stand proud to this day – an immense feat considering the intense storms they’ve been subjected to over many years.

5. The Skellig Michael monastery

Although the Skellig Michael monastery is a ruin, much of the inner and outer enclosure is still visible. The monastery is situated on the east side of the island, as this location gets some good shelter.

The monks built three different staircases that would allow them to access the area, depending on the weather. Only the steps I mentioned earlier are accessible to the public today, for safety reasons.

You’ll be able to see one of the staircases from the monastery. This was one of the paths that was shown in Star Wars: Force Awakes.

FAQs about visiting Skellig Michael

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from whether or not the Skellig boat trips are worth the price they charge and where to stay nearby.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.

Is Skellig Michael worth it?

Yes. It’s worth the hassle of planning your trip and dealing with the potential cancellation if the weather is bad. This is one of those experiences you’ll remember forever.

Are there many Skellig Islands boat trips to choose from?

There are a lot of different tour operators, each of which tends to offer both an Eco Tour (where you sail around the islands) and a landing tour (where you visit Skellig Michael).

Was Star Wars filmed on Skellig Michael?

Yes. The Skelligs featured in Star Wars film Episode VII “The Force Awakens” in 2014. If you’ve watched the movie, you’ll see Skellig Michael at the end of the movie when Luke Skywalker gets reintroduced to viewers.

Is Skellig Michael open in 2024?

Yes, tours are running to the Skellig Islands in 2024. The ‘season’ runs from from April until the beginning of October.

Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent most of the last 10 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 30 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries . Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.

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Tuesday 25th of April 2023

Very useful info for planning our trip. Thanks for taking the time.

Sunday 16th of April 2023

Thank you for this post. Because of it, I was able to find a tour that actually had space on their boat!

Pat Mulcahy

Thursday 16th of February 2023

Very useful information Keith thanks

Tuesday 21st of June 2022

Very useful info. A great website source. Well done

Monday 21st of March 2022

As the world's foremost Star Wars scholar, I feel I must point out that The Force Awakens premiered on December 17, 2015, not 2014. :)

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If you wish to book directly with us please select our vessel “Celtic Victor” on the booking page.

There are some details about this trip that should be observed before you make a decision to visit – these are outlined below

• Landing on Skellig Michael and undertaking the climb to the monastery requires a reasonable level of fitness and mobility. The sea trip can also be challenging at times and this should also be considered before making a booking enquiry. All intending travellers should be physically fit for this trip.
• Children under 12 are not accommodated on this trip
• Wet gear will be provided but we recommend you bring you own also as you can never have enough when out on the ocean – sensible footgear is also required.

Throughout the tour we will depart to you our knowledge of the history of Skellig Michael and surrounding area. At the Small Skelligs you will witness first-hand the wonder of over 50,000 Gannets (the 2nd largest colony in the world) and the resident colony of seal. Dolphins and Whales can also be seen occasionally on the trip to and from Skellig.

Our landing trips depart from Portmagee Marina at 8.30am each morning weather permitting and return at approximately 2pm.

The itinerary of the trip is as follows:

• Arrive at Portmagee marina, Co. Kerry at 8.30am (the exact time will be confirmed by email 2 days before the trip).
• On arrival ask for the Celtic Victor (this is the name of our vessel)
• Depart 9.00am
• Arrive at Skellig Michael at approx. 10.00am
• Depart Skellig Michael at approx. 12.30pm
• Return to Portmagee 1.45pm

Note: All bookings should confirm 2 days before the sailing date to get an update on weather conditions and departure times.

Cost: The Skellig landing trip costs €125 per person + booking fee (€8.75 per person).

Our Eco trips depart from Portmagee Marina at approximately 2.30pm and return at approximately 5.00pm.

• Arrive at Portmagee marina at 2.15pm
• On arrival at the marina ask for the Celtic Victor (this is our vessel)
• Depart 2.30pm
• Arrive at Skellig Islands at approx. 3.30pm
• Depart Skellig Islands at approx. 4.15pm
• Return to Portmagee 5.00pm

Cost: The Skellig eco trip costs €50 per person.

Find Us…

Skellig Michael

Dan & Donal McCrohan, Knightstown, Valentia Island, Co Kerry, Ireland Tel: 087 290 6168 Email: [email protected]

• [email protected]

Skellig Coast Adventures

Providing skellig michael tours by boat. explore the beautiful skellig islands with us, skellig michael tours.

Skellig Michael Landing Tour

Skellig Michael Eco Tour

Our vessels.

Here at Skellig Coast Adventures, we are an amalgamation of 4 boat tour operators. We have over 50 years of experience providing boat tours of Skellig Michael. We aim to provide a quality service to all our customers. Our fleet is made up of 4 vessels – The Skellig Walker , Celtic Victor , Ursula Mary and The Deva .

Skellig Michael

Skellig Michael dates all the way back to the 6th century. It is a world renowned early Christian monastic, UNESCO world heritage site. Both Skellig Michael and its twin little Skellig are only accessible by boat. Recently, it made an appearance in the Star Wars Franchise where it was home to Luke Skywalker.

You can experience the Skelligs along with the Kerry Cliffs and Valentia Harbour on one of our Skellig Michael boat tours. You will be immersed in the fascinating history and stories of the Skellig Coast and see an abundance of wildlife creatures that call this place home.

Stay - Savour - Seek

Accommodation

Check out our Kerry accommodation partners

• +353 (0)87 901 7338
• Portmagee Marina, Portmagee, Co. Kerry
• @skelligcoastadventures
• Skellig Landing
• Skellig Coast Eco
• Celtic Victor
• Skellig Walker
• Ursula Mary

skellig coast

Skellig Ferries

Welcome . . .

We aim to provide you an unforgettable and fun trip where you experience the magic of Skellig Michael. A visit to Skellig Michael is a unique and captivating experience. See for yourself the outstanding natural beauty of this special place.

Your safety and comfort will be our number one priority and we will endeavour to provide you with memories that you will treasure forever.

The Skellig Islands float on the Atlantic Ocean, twelve kilometres off the coast of county Kerry. When you first reach the Islands you will be struck by their rugged beauty – as they scale some 700ft above you.

We are Fully Booked for 2021. Reservation for 2022 able to Book Now.

Take a trip to “Ahch-To” The Star War Island

The makers of Star Wars were so fascinated by the Skellig Michael, it is a location for 2 Star War movies; “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi” .

We have two trips to the island every day, the Eco trip and the Landing trip. Click below to choose yours.

We are Fully Booked for 2021.

Reservation for 2022 able to book now..

Skellig Ferries Eco Trip

Trip around the Island, min 2 hours.

A Trip Around the Island

Watch our video of the tour of the Skellig Island

Our Gallery

View a few images of what it’s like on the Island and around it.

Explore The Best Of The West With Skellig Michael Tours

Visit one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites from the comfort of a well-equipped passenger boat and take back home a treasure trove of memories of an unforgettable trip.

A Confluence Of Natural & Cultural Heritage

Experience a different world altogether, far away from the mainland, encompassing natural rock formations, monastery, hermitage, and lighthouses, of historic and cultural relevance.

Enjoy A Leisurely Sail Around Skellig Islands Onboard The Skellig Star

Let our Skellig Michael boat trips offer you a spectacular view of the mesmerizing islands, rich in biodiversity and home to sites of cultural importance.

Skellig Michael Tours

About Skellig Island

The twin crags of Skellig Michael Islands appears in the horizon, shortly after the Skellig Michael Boat Trips start off from Portmagee Village.

The natural formation of the islands could date back to at least 300 million years ago in the prehistoric period. The islands can be divided into two portions— The Great Skellig Michael & Little Skellig.

The Skellig Michael landing tour is not permitted on the Little Skellig island, while the Great Skellig Michael, with its easily noticeable twin peaks, is among Europe’s most ancient and sacred places. It used to be home to a group of Gaelic monks in the 6th century. The monks had built the Skellig Monastery to mark as the finishing line of an ancient pilgrimage going through France, Italy, Greece and Palestine — The St. Michael Axis. The monastic settlement is also highly regarded for its architectural genius, exemplified by the beehive huts and the 3 steps and pathways, with over 600 stairs leading up to the monastery— all still in brilliant condition to this day.

Apart from the historical importance of the site, the island also has a rich biodiversity and is home to one of the world’s largest colonies of Northern Gannets. Other fauna includes seabird species like puffins and razorbills and marine animals including a thriving population of grey seals. Earlier known as just Skellig, which in Gaelic means “splinter of stone” the site, especially the twin crags was later named after the Archangel Michael, as a dedication. It got the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It was recently the filming location for the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015.

Why Choose Skellig Michael Tours

• Gives You A Memorable Experience With An Up & Close View Of The Islands From The Comfort Of Spacious And Cozy Passenger Boats
• Offers Two Different Options Of Skellig Islands Boat Trips & Skellig Michael Eco Tours
• Wheelchair Accessible Boats Allow Tourists Of Different Physical Conditions To Gain Access
• Takes You On A Fully Insured And Licenced Passenger Vessel
• Competitively Priced For A Wider Range Of Tourists

The Most Important Sites Include

• The Skellig Michael Monastery
• The Stairs & Pathways leading up to the Monastery’s main complex
• The Christ’s Saddle Valley between the two mountains
• The Tower House, or Wailing Woman — a megalithic rock formation, from where you get breathtaking sites of the Little Skellig in the distance

About Skellig Star (The Boat)

Skellig Star is an accommodating boat of ours. It is definitely a true charmer! Built to take you around the Skellig Islands, it’s a 40ft Lochin running on twin engines, promising a smooth and safe sail, all the way to the Skellig Michael and Little Skellig islands. Its specialty lies in accessibility, presenting you breathtaking sights you wouldn’t have had access to by land. Rest assured by taking the Skellig Michael landing tour the Skellig Star is well capable of bringing you as close as possible to the island and landing you safely.

Our Skellig Star is well-equipped with life jackets and waterproof gear for our passengers. While safety is mandatory for every passenger as we value lives more than anything, the latter is optional and intended to keep you dry even during the heaviest downpour. Accommodating a maximum of 12 passengers at once, our boat is spacious, with cabin seating offering marvelous views of the Skellig Islands. Purposely designed with the seating arrangement inside the cabin, it ensures shelter from harsh weather conditions without compromising on passenger comfort.

Among its other state of the art facilities, there’s a toilet on-board. All in all, it’s a true star, completely insured and licensed, encompassing advanced facilities so that you enjoy a leisurely Skellig Michael boat trip.

Bookings Are Now Open For  2024 Skellig Michael Tours

Book Your Skellig Michael Tour Early In Advance. You Can Book Online, Or Give Us A Call at 00353 87 617 8114 for guidance.

Skellig Michael Eco Tour Departure Timings:

10:00 am, 12:30 pm, 3.00pm, 5:30pm

From where does Skellig Michael Tours depart?

Portmagee situated in County Kerry is the exact location from where our boats depart. For further information, kindly refer to our Contact Us page.

Is it necessary for an enthusiastic passenger to book in advance for Skellig tours?

We don’t want to disappoint you. Therefore, our advice would be to book in advance to avoid the rush during the peak season.

Can I cancel my bookings during adverse weather/sea conditions?

Skellig Island tours are entirely weather-dependent. We will cancel the tour if the sea conditions are not suitable to travel and refund your money. To get a better insight, kindly refer to our Cancellation Policy.

How can I identify the Skellig Star?

Please make a call to our booking office once you reach the vicinity. One of our staff members will assist you to Skellig Star.

How would advise on clothing & shoes for a boat ride to the Skellig Islands?

Our advice to you would be to put on warm comfortable clothes. We have waterproof gears ready on-board.

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Murphys Sea Cruises To Skellig Michael

Contact: e: [email protected] t: +353 876762983

Explore the wonderful Skellig Michael with Pat Joe Murphy Operating boat tours to Skellig for over 30 years! LANDING TOURS & ECO (around the islands) TRIPS availabe - Book in advance to secure your spot as tours are limited to 12 passengers per day!  

Skellig Michael Tours

The Skellig Islands, Skellig Michael and Small Skellig, stand aloof in the Atlantic Ocean some 13km southwest of Portmagee & Valentia Island, County Kerry. From any angle, or from any vantage point on the nearby Ring of Kerry, they are spectacular pinnacles, which have magnetised viewers for gene rations. 

MURPHYS SEA CRUISES

M urphys offer boat tours to Skellig Michael daily from Portmagee durin g the summer months. There are many imitators but only a few are the original boatmen to the islands. Patrick Murphy is the Skipper of the wonderful "Shelluna". Patrick was born & raised in the beautiful village of Portmagee and lives in the village. With over 30 years of captaining boats on the atlantic, you know you are in safe hands.

Murphys Sea Cruises was established in the 1980's, at the time there were only a few boatmen "licensed" to go to the Great Skellig. Patrick & crew have brought thousands of people to and from the islands and promises them a trip of a life time .

Now taking reservations  for 2023 - book in advance to secure your spot!

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

"A lovely boat trip going around the smaller Skellig to view the birds on the way to Skellig Michael. The boat drivers were really helpful, friendly and informative with a lovely enthusiasm about nature, we were fortunate to see jumping dolphins and a baby seal. A reall fantgastic experience."

"There are a dozen purveyors of trips to the Skelligs, but you'll feel confident about your boating safety if you choose Pat Joe Murphy, Captain of the beautiful Shelluna. Pat Joe has a yellow cottage office down the road and across the street from the Portmagee docks (picture included), but everyone in the area knows him to call for you to arrange your passage. On the trip back, Pat Joe stopped alongside LIttle Skellig, a bird and sea lion colony, so that we could take photos of the tremendous wildlife. The smooth ride, both there and back, was in large part enjoyed because of Pat Joe's skill at the helm. I would recommend this adventure for preteens and older. I had quite a memorable day!"

"Very enjoyable experience. We set off on time and the journey was very comfortable. It was a beautiful day and the crossing wasn't difficult. Skellig Michael was amazing. Murphy Cruises were professional and I have no problem recommending them for the trip."

ABOUT THE SKELLIGS

The Skelligs are world famous, each in its own right. Skellig Michael is known throughout the world of archaeology as the site of a well preserved monastic outpost of the early Christian period, now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Small Skellig is equally renowned in matters of ornithology as the home of some 27,000 pairs of gannets, the second largest colony of such sea birds in the world.   

The monastic site on Skellig Micheal is reached by climbing over five hundred steps on up a 1000 year old stone stairway. Stone beehive huts where monks lived and prayed centuries ago cling to cliff edges alongside oratories, a cemetery, stone crosses, holy wells and the Church of St Michael. These isolated archaeological remains show the dramatically spartan conditions in which this early Christian community lived. Enduring several Viking raids, the monks eventually left the island in the thirteenth century and it subsequently became a place of pilgrimage.  A boat trip to The Skelligs allows one to experience these magnificent natural monuments first hand, book with Murphys today and experience the trip of a lifetime tomorrow.

DISCOVER THE SKELLIGS.

Welcome to skelligs rock cruises.

Experience the best that the Wild Atlantic Way has to offer and join us on a boat tour to the Skellig Islands. A World Heritage site, and so listed with Mount Everest and the Great Barrier Reef for its significance to humankind, you’ll be glad you made the trip.

The Skellig Islands float on the Atlantic Ocean, twelve kilometres off the coast of county Kerry. When you first reach the Islands you will be struck by their rugged beauty – as they scale some 700ft above you. An internationally renowned bird sanctuary, you’ll encounter a wonderful array of birdlife as you climb the six hundred steps to the peak. Here you’ll find  one of the oldest and best-preserved monasteries in Europe . At the summit allow your imagination to take you back to the time of the Monks or to transport you to a ‘Galaxy far far away’.

The makers of Star Wars were so taken by the Skellig Michael that they used it as a location for 2 Star War movies The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Find out more about  how the Skelligs were used in the Star Wars movies here .

How can you describe the Skellig Michael to someone who has never visited this place of peace, serenity and absolute beauty, yet with ruggedness all around you?

No one has ever painted a picture of the Skellig Michael with words, better then the famous Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw when he wrote to Frederick Jackson: “Parknasilla Hotel, Sneem, 18th September 1910.”

“The most fantastic and impossible rock in the world: Skellig Michael… where in the south west gales spray knocks stones out of the lighthouse keeper’s house… the Skelligs are pinnacled, crocheted, spired, arched, caverned, minareted; and these gothic extravagances are not curiosities of the islands:they are the islands: there is nothing else.The rest of the cathedral may be under the sea for all I know …An incredible, impossible, mad place…I tell you the thing does not belong to any world that you and I have lived and worked in: it is part of our dream world.”

“This was a brilliant experience and nothing will ever compare to the sight of Skellig Michael appearing above the mist as we headed into the fresh Atlantic from the calm waters of Portmagee harbour.”

-Farranboy62, Dublin

“We travelled to the Skelligs with Sea Quest and they could not have been more helpful. From the well-run and friendly first approach on the quayside to leaving them 4 hours later nothing could have been improved. The Captain was extremely personable and told us things of interest throughout the trip.”

“The islands are even more remarkable up close and in person than they are in pictures and movies. We took a boat ride around them, and it was the most rewarding investment of time we have had here in Ireland.”

-Charles M, UK

“If there is a chance still to go by boat to Skellig, this should definitely be used. Even the rocks from the ship is incredibly impressive, the monastery huts and the stairs are clearly visible. Cost: €35 per person. Highly recommended!!”

-Uetliberg, Switzerland

BOOK A SKELLIGS TRIP: ECO/LANDING

DISCOVER HISTORY

EXPLORE WILDLIFE

RE-ENACT STAR WARS

SKELLIG MICHAEL LANDING TOUR

On the Skellig Michael Landing Tour you can get off the boat and explore the island. The tour departs from the marina in Portmagee, Co. Kerry . Landing on Skellig Michael is very restricted and only licensed boats are permitted to land once per day during the season (mid May to end of September) . Landing is not permitted outside this period. The departure time for the Skellig Michael Landing Tour is subject to change because of the sea conditions, tides and landing time slots but the tour normally departs between 08:00am and 12:30pm . You will find out the allocated departure time when you check-in the day before the tour . It is very important that we are able to contact you on the phone number and email address you provide when you make a booking. Skellig Michael is 12km out in the Atlantic Ocean so the tours are very dependent on the sea conditions  and we will need to keep you updated if the departure time changes or if a tour is cancelled.

How to book the Skellig Michael Landing Tour?

We take all bookings online on our website. Go directly to the booking page by clicking on the button below. Availability for the landing tour is limited so you really need to book well in advance. You can add your details to the waitlist if the date you are looking for is full. We do not permit children under the age of 14 years on the landing tour.

ABOUT THE SKELLIG MICHAEL LANDING TOUR

How long is the boat trip to skellig michael.

The ferry crossing to Skellig Michael takes about 50 minutes.

How much time do I have on Skellig Michael ?

You will have approximately 2 and a half hours on Skellig Michael.

Why is there only one trip per day for the Skellig Michael Landing Tour?

We are only permitted to land on Skellig Michael once per day due to restrictions to preserve the island. There are 15 boats with licenses to land on Skellig Michael and each boat is allowed to carry 12 passengers. That means there is a maximum of 180 people on Skellig Michael per day.

When will I find out if the Skellig Michael Landing Tour is cancelled?

The heritage guides, who live and work on Skellig Michael during the landing tour season, monitor the conditions at the island every morning and they ultimately decide whether or not the landing tour can go ahead. They will not make a decision to cancel unless they are absolutely certain that landing is not possible so sometimes their final decision may be right before the tour is due to depart . Of course, we will contact you immediately if we hear any updates before that. 

Are children allowed on Skellig Michael Landing Tour?

We do not allow children under 14 years on the Skellig Michael Landing Tour.

How many steps are there on Skellig Michael?

There are 618 steps to the monastery on Skellig Michael. You will climb the same steps constructed by the monks who made their home on the island between the 6th and 12th centuries.

How much is the Skellig Michael Landing Tour?

The price for the Skellig Michael Landing Tour is €125 plus booking fee per person. There are no senior, student or children’s rates. We do not permit children under the age of 14 years on the landing tour.

What other options are there instead of the Skellig Michael Landing tour?

What to bring on the skellig michael landing tour.

In Ireland, the weather is very unpredictable and we can get all the seasons in one day. Wear warm comfortable clothing and good walking shoes (not flat soles) for climbing the steps to the monastery. You also need to bring rain wear (jacket and trousers). There are no shops or facilities on the islands so bring something to eat and drink with you. You should also bring sunscreen. If you suffer from motion sickness consider taking medication before the tour and avoid eating for a couple of hours beforehand. 

Checklist for the Landing Tour

Wear warm comfortable clothing

Good walking shoes – not flat soles

Packed lunch

Drinking water

Rain wear – jacket and trousers

Sunscreen (we might get lucky)

What time does the Skellig Michael Landing Tour depart?

The departure time slot is normally between 08:00am and 12:30pm but can be later depending on the sea conditions, weather or tides. We will tell you the allocated departure time when you check-in the day before the tour.

You must be very flexible with your time on the day of the tour because  departure times change frequently  due to the sea conditions / tides / weather. The tour normally returns to Portmagee between 1:30pm and 5:30pm but it can be later.  6pm  is the latest the tour will finish if the departure is delayed because of the sea conditions.  Please be aware of this when making plans for after the tour. 

THE DAY OF THE TOUR

You need to arrive at the marina no later than 15 minutes before departure unless we instruct you otherwise when you check-in the day before the tour . Ask for BRENDAN CASEY at the marina.

Recent Reviews on Google “Would 100% recommend this on a checklist of “must do” items in Ireland.” “Once in a lifetime experience you will never forget.” “ Amazing boat tour by a very experienced and knowledgeable captain”

YOU MUST CHECK-IN THE DAY BEFORE THE LANDING TOUR

You need to tell us:  Where you are staying the night before the tour and the best phone number to contact you on.   We will tell you:  The expected departure time and the forecasted sea/weather conditions   You cannot check-in more than 24 hours in advance because we will not be able to provide you with the most up to date information before then.    CHECK-IN ONLINE Check-in link is provided on your confirmation email when you make a booking You must do this between 08:30am and 3pm the day before the tour     If you are having difficulty checking in online you can: CALL/SMS/WHATSAPP Phone Number is provided on your confirmation email when you make a booking You can do this between 12pm and 4pm the day before the tour

Where do the Skellig Michael Tours depart from?

All our tours depart from the marina in Portmagee, County Kerry. – Ask for BRENDAN CASEY. Arrive at least 15 minutes before the tour is due to depart.

How do I change or cancel my Skellig Tour booking?

Login to our customer area to update or cancel your booking. Enter the same email address you used when you made your booking.

It is advisable to stay as near as possible to Portmagee.

You should stay locally the night before the tour because the sea conditions vary a lot and we are often not sure if the tour will go ahead until right before it is due to depart.

A SAFETY GUIDE

Visiting skellig michael.

You require a reasonable amount of fitness to undertake the landing tour.  There are 618 steps to the monastery on Skellig Michael, and some are quite steep in certain areas along the path. Please watch the safety video to make sure you are aware of the rugged nature of Skellig Michael.

Are there alternative tours if my landing tour is cancelled due to sea or weather conditions?

Yes, we can get you on the next available  Skellig Michael Eco Tour  or  Audio Visual (AV) Boat Tour  and refund the difference in price back to your card. The landing tour is sometimes cancelled due to adverse sea or weather conditions. Unfortunately, as subsequent landing tours are usually booked out well in advance, it is unlikely we will be able to reschedule your booking. This is a limited tour with very few places available each day due to restrictions on landing on the Skelligs. If your landing tour is cancelled and you don’t wish to go on an alternative tour you will receive a full refund including booking fee.

CANCELLATION POLICY FOR THE SKELLIG MICHAEL LANDING TOUR

A cancellation fee of €12.50 per person applies for cancellations made 7 or more days in advance. No refunds will be given for cancellations made less than 7 days in advance. If we have to cancel a tour for any reason including sea/weather conditions, you will receive a full refund including booking fee.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

We may need to change the departure time and we will give you advance notice of this. The departure time may be delayed by many hours due to tides and sea conditions. You must be available until at least 6pm on the day of the tour. This is the latest that the tour will arrive back to Portmagee marina if the departure time is delayed. We reserve the right to cancel a trip for any reason including sea and weather conditions, engine failure etc. If your landing tour is cancelled we will not be able to reschedule your booking to the following days’ tours if they are already fully booked. This is a very limited tour with very few places available each day due to government restrictions on landing on the Skelligs. You cannot book multiple days as a contingency as this would be unfair to other people trying to book. It is very important that we can reach you at the contact information you provide us with (ie. Phone Number and Email) because the tours are very dependent on the sea conditions and we will need to keep you updated if the departure time changes or if the tour is cancelled. The cancellation policy for the Skellig Michael Landing Tour is strictly 7 days and a refund is not possible if you cancel less than 7 days in advance. If you need to cancel your booking, you must do so at least one week in advance to receive a refund excluding the cancellation fee of €12.50.

Skellig Michael Boat Tours and Skellig Islands Cruises depart from the beautiful fishing village of Portmagee.

About Skellig Michael  Boat Tours & The Skellig Islands.

Skellig Michael tours are where you land at Skellig Michael, get off the boat and climb to the top, the Skellig Islands Eco Tours  go around both islands.

Trips to the Skellig Islands can be called many things ie. ferry to Skellig Michael, skellig Michael tours, Skellig Michael trips, boat to Skellig Michael, Skellig Island tours, Skellig Michael landing tours, Landing tours etc etc.

The list is endless and not that important, but getting out to the Skelligs / Skellig Michael, and must be on the bucket list of many people.

People choose to visit the Skelligs for many different reasons – Star Wars fans, religeous reasons, the birdlife.

So if it is your intention to take a Skellig Michael tour or take in a Skellig Islands eco cruise, then plan ahead, book early which is especially reccomended for landing on Skellig Michael, and look forward to an experience that is out of this world.

Skellig Michael cruises offer two different options to see these awe inspiring and magnificent islands, details are listed below.

Booking for Skellig Michael boat tours (landing) is limited and in high demand so booking well in advance of your visit is well advised – although you may get lucky with an on the day cancellation.

Booking for the Skellig Islands Eco tours is simpler as we have more boats available and every departure time.

with our Skellig boats fleet we  have 60 seats available (x 8 departure times), the boats get close and personal with the Beehive huts and the Monastery, you will still see them and many more things than you will see from a Skellig Michael tour.

This makes the Skellig Islands Eco tour a worthwhile alternative to the Skellig Michael tours, especially for the infirm, people who dont like heights etc.

Skellig Islands Eco Tours

Our Skellig Islands Eco Tours depart daily from Portmagee marina .

Departure times are 9:30 – 10:00 – 12:00 – 1:00 – 2:30 – 3:30 – 4:30 – (5:30pm by request).

You get up close to Small Skellig where you will see the second largest Gannett colony in the world, the light house at the back of Skellig Michael, hidden coves, the old steps the monks carved into the rock, the pufins and other birdlife on the island (puffins April till mid july) and more.

You might even see some dolphins and whales on your journey.

This trip is 2.5 hours in duration and is suitable for all ages and abilities.

The Skellig Islands Eco tour season runs from March 15 th to November 10 th .

All trips are weather permitting..

Skellig Michael  Boat Tours

Skellig Michael  Boat Tours   departs daily from Portmagee marina between 8:30 and 9:30 this is due to we are now allocated landing time slots at Skellig Michael.

It takes approximately 1 hour to reach Skellig Michael .

You are allowed 2.5 hours on the island to climb the 600 steps to the top and explore the island.

On the island there is a tour guide to tell you all there is to know about the island, especially the history of Skellig Michael .

The tour guides also provide lots of information on the birds   and wildlife that lives / visits there.

They will be happy to answer any questions you might have..

You will arrive back in Portmagee at approximately 2pm.

Skellig Michael  Boat Tours run from the 15th of May to October 2nd.

We have 5 boats in operation taking passengers on an eco tour daily to Skellig Michael.

As you can see from the picture our boat has an outside canopy for shelter from wind,rain etc… and provides extra comfort for passengers.

This canopy can be rolled up for a very fine summers day.

Some of our boats have a door at the back which allows easy access for passengers to walk on-board.

They are spacious with plenty of room to  take photos and view the wildlife and historical sites of Skellig Michael and the small skelligs .

All our boats are wheelchair accessible , have life jackets on board, a toilet , seating and shelter for all passengers on their journey to Skellig Michael and the Skellig Islands .

If you have any questions during your trip please feel free to ask one of our crew members.

Latest News

We have started operating tours around Skellig Michael. You can book your preferred time of departure here : https://www-1557q.bookeo.com/bookeo/b_skelligmichaelcruises_start.html?ctlsrc2=zaAhcC0M4JEyr0TK1uBj53X%2Bc7r47vR8YdGbX7HXvYY%3D&src=02r           Read Full Story here https://www.facebook.com/260491857303744/posts/3274902352529331/?d=n

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Landing Tours Begin on May 11th 2024

Non-Landing Tours Operate from March 18th 2024

Booking for the 2024 season is now open.

Skellig Michael Boat Tours are popular especially in the peak season so booking is advance is advisable.

Skellig Michael non-landing eco tour Around The Skellig Islands

This tour operates form March 18th 2024 to 1st November 2024 and departs daily at 10am, 12:30pm, 3pm and 5:15pm. It takes approximately 2.5 hours in total. This tour takes you up close to Skellig Michael, you see all the island has to offer, wild life( puffins, gannets etc), light house, the monastery, old path taken by the monks etc… but you do not get off the boat.

We depart from Portmagee Marina. Eircode V23 TN30

Please ensure that the phone number and email address provided is correct so we can contact you if departure times change or if tour needs to be cancelled.

About the Non-landing tour

It takes approximately 1 hour to get to Skellig Micahel

The boat circles the small Skelligs and Skellig Michael itself for approximately 40minutes – you get up close to the island to see historical sites before returning to Portmagee.

Tour tour is suited for all ages and abilities.

We have a toilet on the boat.

Cost of Non-landing Tour: Adult €50, Student €45, child €40, family (2adults & 2 children) €170

What time do I arrive for the tour?

You need to arrive at Portmagee Marina 15minutes ahead of your tour to check in.

Skellig Michael Landing Tour – Available from May 11th – September 30th 2024

Landing Boat Operator Dermot Walsh.

This tour departs daily between 8:30am and 9:30am. It takes approximately 1 hour to get to Skellig Michael, you are allowed off the boat and onto Skellig Michael for approximately 2.5 hours before returning to Portmagee.

We recommend that children are at least 12 years old to do this tour.

About the landing Tour

This tour is approx. 5 hours in total. We depart daily from Portmagee Marina between 8:30am and 9:30am. When you arrive at Skellig Michael you can get off the boat onto the island. There are approx. 618steps to climb to the Monastery. You are allowed 2.5hours to explore the island. There are guides on the island to give you the full history.

This is a very popular tour and is usually booked well in advance.

Cost of Landing Tour: €140 per person

Departure times can change due to weather conditions as we are in contact with the guides on Skellig Michael while we monitor the landing conditions at Skellig Michael. Times can be delayed up to 12:30/13:00 depending on sea conditions.

Please be aware of this when booking and planning activities for later in the day.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before departure time to check in

What to bring:

Wear comfortable footwear suitable for walking

Warm clothes and rain gear

A packed lunch, Water

About The Skellig Islands

Skellig Michael is a UNESCO World Heritage site . It is one of the only two in the republic of Ireland.

On the summit of this magnificent island off the South Kerry coast is St Fionan’s monastery. It is one of the earliest foundations in the country.

The monks lived there in the 6 th century. They prayed and slept in beehive-shaped huts made of stone, many of which can be seen on the island today.

The monks left the island in the thirteenth century. It became a place of pilgrimage and, during the time of the Penal Laws, a haven for Catholics.

There are 618 steep steps to the Monastery at the top of Skellig Michael. This is a challenge but well worth the effort.

There are guides on the Island who will give the full history of Skellig Michael.

There are many types of birds on and around the island with the most popular being the Puffin. Skellig rock puffins come here to breed at the beginning of April and leave by the beginning of August, back towards the east coast of Canada (across the pond) and the mid-Atlantic ridge where they forage for the winter months on shoals of Capelin. The Skelligs have one of the largest Puffin populations which is of international importance.

Little Skellig is the second-largest gannet colony in the world. The rock looks white as it is occupied with so many gannets.

There is limited availability for the landing tours to Skellig Michael which are very popular so booking well in advance is advisable.

We also operate the non-landing eco tour around Skellig Michael where you get up close to the island but you do not get off the boat. This is also a popular tour for families and people who are unable to do the climb.

When do the tours operate?

We operate the non-landing tours from March 18th until 1st November.

We operate the landing tours from May 11 th – September 30 th

Where do the tours depart from? All our tours depart from the Portmagee Marina, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Do I need to book in advance? It is advisable to book well in advance to reserve your preferred departure date and time.

Weather Conditions and Cancellations All our tours are weather dependent. If we need to cancel you will be given the option of rescheduling your tour for another time or a full refund.

Can I reschedule my Tour if it is cancelled due to adverse sea/weather conditions? Yes, if your Tour is cancelled we will try our best to get you on the next available Tour when the weather/sea conditions improve.  The landing tours are usually booked well in advance so therefore are difficult to reschedule.

How do I book the tours? We take all our bookings online via our website using a safe well known payment processing service – if you have any difficulty please email [email protected]

Do you take group bookings? Yes  we can accomodate large groups for the non-landing tours.

Get in touch

Portmagee Marina,

Eircode: V23 XD93

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +353 (0)87 901 0994

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Skelligs Landing Tours

We are the only operators to depart from Ballinskelligs a way point on the Wild Atlantic Way, and the land base of the Skellig Monks.

We are departing daily from Ballinskelligs Pier from the 14th of May.

Walk the trail the monks may have taken while on Ballinskelligs and then complete the experience by a landing tour to Skellig Michael.

Advanced booking for Landing Tours is advisable, places are limited and fill up quickly.

Eco Cruises

We operate Eco Cruises around both Skellig Islands , this tour is ideal for those who are unable to land on Skellig Michael due to health or other reasons , you can still expeience the force of this island and get to see areas of the island that a landing cruise doesnt allow.

The tour also includes the Gannet santuary of Little Skellig home to thousands of nesting Gannets.

This tour departs most day but is subject to weather conditions.

Force Awakens Sunrise / Sunset / Dark Sky Cruises

Join the Force Awakens skippers Brendan & David Walsh and Derek Noble and experience the beauty of a Kerry sunrise / Sunset or Dark Sky from the ocean. We offer a unique opportunity for everyone, but especially photographers and artists to see and capture the beauty of our scenery at these magical times.

Our Skelligs and round Ballinskelligs Bay cruises operate throughout the day , seven days a week (weather permitting)

Private Boat hire is available on special request.

Skellig Michael Landing Tour approx 5 Hrs

Eco trips around skellig islands approx 2.5 hrs, eco bay trips to puffin island, scariff and deenish island.

Very nice trip to the Skellig on the Force Awakens. We departed from Ballinskellig Pier (wich is very less crowded than Portmagee) and after the other boats (less people on the island too). The team was very friendly and the boat is nice.

Had a wonderful afternoon experience with Brendan on The Force Awakens. Kids and I loved it. Out of this world.

We had a great day Brendan the weather was great Skelligs was great and I think I can speak for everyone on the boat today when I say you really made our trip by showing us all the extra cusses (coves) and wildlife thanks Brendan for a great trip on the Force awakens

The Force Awakens passenger vessel is a fully licenced and insured that can carry 12 persons, life jackets are provided for all passengers on their voyage for safety.

Our Skippers have many years of passenger vessel sailing around these waters including cruises to the Skellig Islands, so you can be assured of a safe and enjoyable cruise.

Please Note: We do not permit the consumption / bringing on board of any alchoholic drinks, this is purely for safety reasons.

Stay up to date

Latest News

The force is getting stronger in skellig michael, we are one of them, opw confirms season opening date of 14 may 2017 for skellig michael, the skelligs force awakens, where to find us..

Reen Pier Ballinskelligs Co Kerry Ireland

GPS. N51° 48.646’ – W010° 16.458’

T. +353 87 2385610

Ballinskelligs is a Wild Atlantic Way point.

Call for departures times for:

Landing Tours :

Eco Cruises:

Note: All landing tours / Eco Cruises are weather permitting.

Skellig Michael

Skellig Michael ( Sceilg Mhichíl ) is an island 8 nautical miles off the South West Coast of Ireland and forms part of the Skellig Islands along with Small Skellig ( Sceilig Bheag ). It is home to one of the world’s best-preserved examples of the early Christian monastic tradition . The island and monastery are a UNESCO World Heritage site . Boat tours to the island are possible during the Summer landing tour season . The island is an important wildlife sanctuary for species such as the Manx Shearwater, fulmars and its famous colony of puffins. The island was used as a filming location for the planet Ahch-To in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi .

Contents Overview

Visitor Number Limits

Landing tour season, weather conditions, landing tour booking, skellig michael viewing tours / eco tours, skellig michael location, where does the name skellig michael come from.

• Small Skellig (Sceilig Bheag)

Length and Height

Geological composition, historical timeline, pre-monastic history.

• Monastic History (6th – 12th Century)

The Monastery and Hermitage

Monastery buildings and grounds, beehive hut construction, the hermitage on the south peak, life in the monastery, how did the monks survive, post-monastic period, history of lighthouses on skellig michael, conservation and archaeological works, unesco world heritage status, storm petrels, dolphins, seals and whales, the force awakens, the last jedi, impact on tourism, skellig michael tours.

Tours to the island are generally of two types: Skellig Michael Landing Tours – where visitors land on the island and spend up to 2 hours exploring the island and ancient monastery. These tours have become extremely popular in recent years. Skellig Michael Viewing Tours – where boats circumnavigate Skellig Michael and Small Skellig ( Sceilig Bheag ) and give a commentary on the island but passengers remain on the boat.

Skellig Michael Landing Tours

Access to the island is only via one of the 15 licensed Skellig Michael Landing Tour boats that are granted a landing tour license by the OPW. These boats carry 12 passengers each, meaning only 180 people are allowed to land on the island daily .

The 2019 Skellig Michael Landing Tour season is from May 24th – September 30th 2019 as defined by the Office of Public Works , who are in charge of the island.

The season start date can change from year to year but generally begins in mid-May and ends at the end of September.

Landing Tours to the island only occur in the Summer months when sea conditions are favourable to safe landing.

If conditions are not favourable, all landings will be cancelled for the day .

In a standard 130 day landing season, landings will occur between 65% – 75% of the time so, for visitors, it is important to have a backup plan in the event that their landing tour is cancelled.

Booking a landing tour is not an entirely straightforward process as the boats all accept bookings independently of one another. We strongly recommend reading  Booking a Skellig Michael Landing Tours in 2019: The Definitive Guide .

The other option for visitors is to take a tour around both Skellig Islands . These tours do not allow you to land on the island but you do go right up close to the island and can see a lot of the features of Skellig Michael including the steps, the lighthouses and, on a good day, the beehive huts at the top of the island. These tours are particularly suited to families or visitors with children, as many operators are no longer willing to take children under 12 years of age on the landing tour .

Skellig Michael is located 8 nautical miles off the South West Coast of County Kerry in Ireland. The traditional departure point for boat tours to Skellig Michael is the nearby fishing village of Portmagee.

GPS Coordinates : 51°46′16″N 10°32′26″W

The word Skellig comes from the old Irish word “ sceillec   “, which means sharp, steep or jagged rock.

The island was originally known as Glascarraig , which means “Green Rock”. Some time after the establishment of the monastery, Skellig was dedicated to Saint Michael. Thus, the island came to be known as “Skellig Michael” or “ Sceilig Mhichíl ” in Gaelic.

Skellig Islands

Skellig Michael is the larger of the two Skellig Islands . The other being Small Skellig or Little Skellig or Sceilig Bheag , in Gaelic.

Small Skellig ( Sceilig Bheag)

Small Skellig or Little Skellig, is a smaller, uninhabited rock that supports the second-largest gannet colony in Europe, after The Hebrides with up to 20,000 breeding pairs during the summer months, giving the island its characteristic white-topped look and, indeed, smell. The island is inaccessible to the public and only accessible via special permission and climbing equipment.

Skellig Michael Island Geography

The surface area of Skellig Michael is approximately 3.8 hectares .

The majority of the surface area is on the island’s steep slopes which are inaccessible to the public.

Skellig Michael is approximately half a mile (0.8km) long . At its highest point, the South-Western Peak, the island rises to a height of 218 metres (715 feet) .

Skellig Michael is composed of red sandstone, formed in the Devonian period approximately 350 million years ago and would have originally been part of the same mountain chain as the Mcgillicuddy Reeks, overlooking Killarney, which are home to Ireland’s highest peak, Carrauntouhill.

Two peaks, one on the north-eastern side of the island, where the monastery was founded, and another on the south-western, where the smaller hermitage is located. These are linked by a curved central valley called Christ’s Saddle.

Interestingly, from the perspective of the coastline of Ballinskelligs, Portmagee and Valentia Island, these peaks line up so that the island looks like a large floating pyramid on the horizon.

Skellig Michael History

6th Century – 8th Century – Foundation of the monastery on the island. For contextual purposes, this would have been around the same time as the birth of the Islamic religion and considered to be the beginnings of the Middle Ages.

823 – First extant recorded mention of the monastery in the Annals of Tallaght. Also, a Viking attack took place that year in which the abbot of the island was kidnapped and eventually starved to death by his captors.

12th Century – Abandonment of the monastery due, it’s believed, to changes in prevailing weather conditions making life on the monastery even more difficult.

12th Century onwards – Establishment of Skellig Michael as a noted place of pilgrimage.

1578 – The powerful Butler Family assumes ownership of the island as part of the dissolution of monasteries under English rule.

Early 1800s – Ownership transferred to the predecessors of the Commission for Irish Lights , for the purposes of building two lighthouses on the island. The price paid to the Butler family was in the region of 350 pounds, at the time.

1880 – The Office of Public Works assumes guardianship of the monastic ruins.

1826 – Construction of upper and lower lighthouses begins along with jetty and pathway circling the southern part of the island. South-eastern part of the island is dynamited and southern approach steps are lost forever, in the process.

1978 – Beginning of current phase of archaeological survey and conservation works

1989 – The island passes into State ownership.

1996 – Awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status

2014 – 2015 – Filming of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi

One of the first mention of “Skellic” was in legend as the burial place of one of the sons of Milesius, or Míl Espáine , a purported Iberian invader whose army defeated the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of otherworldly gods who ruled Ireland. There are also earlier stories of the island being the dwelling place of Daire Domhaine , the King of the World.

Though we tend to think of the island’s history as beginning with the monks establishing the monastery, a recent discovery that suggests that the island may have already been inhabited before then, as a place of refuge or self-imposed exile.

Monastic History (6th – 12th Century)

The monastic settlement on Skellig actually took place relatively soon after the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. St. Patrick’s missionary work was primarily carried out in the 5th century. The establishment of the monastery is attributed to Saint Fionán. And our current best estimate as to the beginnings of a Christian settlement on the island date back to between the 6th and 8th Century.

At that time in Europe, the monastic tradition would have been heavily influenced by the ascetic tradition that sprung from the seat of Christianity in Judea with many monks and mystics taking to the desert to sequester themselves away from the world to better contemplate the mystery of God. In the absence of a suitable desert, the forbidding isolation of Skellig, at the edge of the known world, fulfilled many of the same functions.

The monastery on Skellig Michael would have been one of a number of monasteries dotted along the Irish coastline, with a significant cluster on the South West coast, encompassing the Iveragh and Dingle peninsulas.

The monks chose to establish the monastery about  167m (550 feet) above sea level on the slopes of the north-eastern peak of the island as it was sheltered from the fiercest of the prevailing winds and, in some senses, has its own micro-climate distinct from the rest of the island.

The population on the island would haven no more than a dozen monks at any one time.

The monastery is comprised of a number of structures, including:

• A large and small oratory built in the shape of an upturned boats.
• A number of beehive huts which served as the monks’ dwellings.
• An altar – for the celebration of mass and other religious ceremonies
• St Michael’s Church – a small church that was built early on in the monastery’s existence that was expanded and rebuilt around the middle of the 11th century, when the island was dedicated to St. Michael.
• A cemetery where a number of monks are buried.

The location of the monastery, allowed the establishment  a terraced garden area for the purposes of growing vegetables with both an upper and lower Monks’ Garden.

The monastery overlooks a terraced garden built to allow for the growing of crops, which was easy given the nutrient-rich soil which was largely composed of bird guano.

The Beehive huts  or clocháns , to give them their Gaelic name, are constructed using flat stones, without the use of mortar. The huts are curved on the outside and square on the inside. The fact that the majority of the structures survived nearly 1400 years of Atlantic storms is a testament to the spectacular robustness of their construction method.

In addition to the monastery on the Eastern side of the island, a smaller, more isolated hermitage site was created on the higher second peak that would serve as a place of isolation and contemplation for a single monk who would spend weeks at a time there. In later years, when pilgrimages to the island became popular, tradition demanded that pilgrims climb to this location, risking death to kiss a cross at the end of a rock ledge. The rock ledge was lost in the last century.

While the island is famous for its 618 steps up to the monastery , these are only one set of stairs – and possibly the most modern – that allowed the monks to climb the island’s steep slopes in relative safety. There are actually up to 4 different routes.

The most famous section of the steps is the steep staircase to the monastery, as seen at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

Life would have been difficult, obviously, given the challenging environment, the constant need to source food and supplies, and the unforgiving weather.

Days would have been spent observing the traditional rhythms of monastic life: dawn prayers, mass, vespers etc. Monks would break for prayers up to 7 times a day, as per the traditional monastic horarium . Fasting would also have been intrinsic to their ascetic existence.

The first problem to solve in a location like Skelligs is securing a water source. The monks were resourceful and created a system that channeled rainwater into two large cisterns holding up to a hundred gallons. No doubt the plentiful Irish rain would have kept it replenished.

While there’s a certain romance to the idea of the monks solely on diet of fish and bird life, they also had access to vegetables from their garden, would have also raised domestic animals such as goats on the island and would have been regularly receiving supplies from the mainland. But this supply chain would have been subject to the vagaries of the weather, as it still is today.

The monastery was abandoned sometime around the 12th Century due, in part, to changing weather conditions which made living on the island even more challenging than it had been and also due to changes in the formal religious structures in effect in the monks’ religious orders. By this time, the monastery had fallen under the charge of the Augustinian order who were responsible for building St. Michael’s Church on the island and who also had an Abbey on the mainland in Ballinskelligs.

Following the abandonment of the monastery, the island became a relatively famous place of pilgrimage.

The story of Skellig’s lighthouses is relatively short but no less fascinating as a result. Due to the increase in maritime traffic during the early 1800s and the consequent increase in ship wrecks along the west coast, the predecessor to the Irish Lights, who were responsible for the building of lighthouses on the mainland, decided to build two lighthouses on the island in 1821.

Construction took approximately 5 years and incorporated two lighthouses, one on the South-Western end and one on the North-Western as well as dwellings for the light house keepers and an approach road from a jetty in Blind Man’s Cove. The lighthouses commenced operation on the 4th of December 1826.

Lighthouse keepers and their families would live on the island for weeks at a time and would use semaphores to signal to Dursey lighthouse in Cork who would then communicate with the mainland.

Tragically, a number of lighthouse keepers died while on the island and one lighthouse keeper, W. Callaghan, lost two sons to illness in 1868 and 1869, who are buried in the island  the grounds of the monastery beside the bodies of the monks from centuries previously. Horrifically, his request to be transferred from the island on compassionate grounds was denied.

The upper lighthouse remained in operation until 1870 when a new lighthouse was built on Inis Tearaght near Dingle. There is an apocryphal story that it was washed out by a wave during a particularly bad storm.

The lower lighthouse remained in operation with various upgrades to its illumination and buildings with lighthouse keepers serving more humane stints on the island and having their families located on purpose-built homes in Knightstown on Valentia Island. The building of a helicopter pad on the island in 1969 eventually allowed for the keepers to be transported to and from the island by helicopter.

Eventually, the decision was made to automate the lighthouse and this came on line on the 22nd April 1987, leaving no reason for the lighthouse keepers to remain stationed on the island. Their stories, however, have been captured in the spectacular RTE series, Great Irish Lighthouses, which interviews a number of Skellig lightkeepers.

Apart from the obvious alterations made to the island during period of the construction of the lighthouses, the main structures on the island remained untouched until 1978 when repairs needed to be made to one of the main walls in the monastery.  This kicked off an intense period of conservation and restoration, beginning in the main monastery and graduating to the hermitage on the South Peak, which had been more exposed to the elements and, therefore, significantly more compromised over the centuries.

The current restoration work is focused on the path constructed between the two lighthouses on the island, which may lead to these being opened to public viewing in future years.

Skellig Michael was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 for its “exceptional universal value” in demonstrating, “ as no other site can, the extremes of a Christian monasticism  characterising much of North Africa, the Near East and Europe.” 

Skellig Wildlife

As well as being a historically significant island, Skellig has Special Protected Status for a number of species of birdlife who nest on the island. In particular, the Manx Shearwater and the Storm Petrel who have some of the world’s largest breeding populations on the island.

Skellig’s most famous inhabitants are its most photogenic: Atlantic Puffins ( Fratercula arctica ). These surprisingly small birds, with their colourful beaks and comic waddle are resident on the island from April until late July / early August. Their characteristic stomach-groan croaking pulsates from every green corner of the island or from underneath the ledges and steps.

There are approximately 4,000  breeding pairs each year who raise one chick – a puffling – in a deep burrow about a metre from the surface.

Puffins leave the island after raising their offspring and fly westward to the Labrador Coast and, after that, spend many months in the middle of the Atlantic.

Skellig Michael is the most important habitat in the world for the European Storm Petrel. Storm Petrels are tiny birds of the [family] which nest primarily in the stone walls and beehive cells of the island. They are nocturnal birds and so are not generally visible during normal visiting hours on the island.

Fulmars are a member of the longnose family. They’re very similar to gulls, with white under-plumage and grey upper feathers. The easiest way to identify them is by their distinctive bill, which is hooked and has nostrils for excreting salt. Their most impressive characteristic is their use of projectile vomiting as a defense mechanism.

Pods of Common Dolphins regularly accompany the boats out to Skellig. Minke Whales also appear frequently during the Summer months. In recent years, the islands have seen the presence of magnificent humpback whales, which are a truly awe-inspiring sight when seen up-close. The island is also host to a colony of Grey Seals who are often found lounging around on the rocks of Seal Cove on the Western end of the island as well as on the shoreline of Small Skellig.

Skellig Michael was chosen as the location of the planet Ahch-To in both Star Wars: The Force Awakens, co-written and directed by JJ Abrams and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, written and directed by Rian Johnson.

The island was chosen by Rick Carter, the production designer, who immediately saw its otherworldly beauty as a possible home for the island retreat of Luke Skywalker, 30 years after the end of Return of the Jedi. He sent the details to JJ Abrams who is reported to have said, “Oh my God. I love it.” In a video on-set he described the island as a “kind of a miracle”.

Pre-production started in early 2014, with a location scouting visit in February. The crew then set up their production office in the lounge room of the Moorings Guesthouse and set about sorting out the huge logistical challenges associated with filming on an island almost 10 miles out in the Atlantic.

Full cast and crew arrived over August Bank Holiday 2014 an spent three days filming on the island. Transport to the island was primarily via the local Skellig Michael landing tour boat fleet, as helicopter flights were restricted.

The Star Wars team returned in September 2015 to shoot the opening scenes of Star Wars: The Last Jedi led, this time, by writer-director Rian Johnson. Although delayed on their first day by weather, shooting again went off relatively painlessly which was slightly miraculous given that, even during the Summer Landing Tour season, boats only land on the island about 65% – 70% of the season.

Ahch-to featured extensively in The Last Jedi, as the island home of Luke Skywalker and home to an indigenous population of fish-like nuns, the Caretakers, and the now-famous Porgs, a type of cross between a seal and a penguin that Johnson said was inspired by the puffins on Skellig Michael. Though there is a story that the Porgs were designed to account for the presence of puffins in frame during shooting, the puffins had actually left the island by the time the crew arrived on the island in September.

Due to the difficulties of shooting on the island, a number of backup locations around Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way were used as backup locations, including: Ceann Sibeal in Dingle (The beehive hut village), Malin Head in Donegal (The landing Point of the Millennium Falcon), Brow Head in Cork (The Dark Hole)

The net effect of Skellig’s presence in the movies was to massively elevate Skellig Michael’s worldwide fame and popularity. In the weeks following the movie’s release, interest in Skellig Michael rose to 10,000 searches per week. Skellig Michael is now firmly on the world tourist map and is one of the world’s great movie set-jetting locations with thousands of Star Wars fans arriving at the island each year, many in costume to recreate some of the movies’ iconic scenes.

• Preplanned tours
• Daytrips out of Moscow
• Themed tours
• Customized tours
• St. Petersburg

Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

What is the kremlin in russia?

The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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